Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta del Este and Maldonado Cost of Living Comparison Between Punta del Este and Maldonado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,959 in Punta del Este versus $1,345 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,745 in Punta del Este versus $2,179 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Punta del Este versus $3,014 in Maldonado.

Living in Punta del Este is roughly 46% more expensive than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Punta del Este is 43% above, Maldonado is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.13 UYU 609

$14.69 UYU 591

3.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.56 UYU 1,511

$55.1 UYU 2,218

-31.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.26 UYU 493

$10.99 UYU 442

11.56%

Cappuccino

$4.60 UYU 185

$4.53 UYU 182

1.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 UYU 97.7

$2.60 UYU 104

-6.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 UYU 77.5

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 UYU 154

$3.62 UYU 146

5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 UYU 152

$3.71 UYU 149

1.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.50

$1.18 UYU 47.46

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 UYU 107

$2.79 UYU 112

-4.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 UYU 70.7

$1.79 UYU 71.9

-1.68%

Eggs

$4.25 UYU 171

$4.03 UYU 162

5.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 UYU 480

$14.37 UYU 578

-16.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 UYU 469

$11.63 UYU 468

0.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 UYU 470

$11.63 UYU 468

0.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 UYU 118

$2.90 UYU 116

1.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 UYU 114

$2.18 UYU 87.6

29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 UYU 75.0

$1.83 UYU 73.5

1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 UYU 127

$3.15 UYU 127

0.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 UYU 82.9

$2.04 UYU 82.2

0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 UYU 83.8

$1.99 UYU 80.1

4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 UYU 58.1

$1.40 UYU 56.4

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 UYU 75.2

$1.89 UYU 76.1

-1.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 UYU 223

$5.45 UYU 219

1.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 UYU 326

$8.01 UYU 322

1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 UYU 93.2

$2.26 UYU 90.9

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 UYU 116

$2.74 UYU 110

5.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 UYU 55.2

$1.36 UYU 54.9

0.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.84 UYU 2,005

$49.26 UYU 1,982

1.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 UYU 73.2

$3.42 UYU 138

-46.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.10

$0.43 UYU 17.41

-6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 UYU 401

$9.98 UYU 402

-0.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 UYU 84.4

$1.94 UYU 78.2

8.25%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.3K UYU 1.1M

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

-0.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.4K UYU 1.5M

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

1.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$115 UYU 4,629

$113 UYU 4,552

1.71%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.02 UYU 685

$16.99 UYU 684

0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.18 UYU 1,818

$45.82 UYU 1,844

-1.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 UYU 2,289

$48.71 UYU 1,960

16.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.07 UYU 1,210

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 UYU 487

$12.35 UYU 497

-2.11%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$499 UYU 20.1K

$492 UYU 19.8K

1.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,703 UYU 269.7K

$6,713 UYU 270.1K

-0.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 UYU 3,577

$90.6 UYU 3,647

-1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.56 UYU 1,511

$37.96 UYU 1,527

-1.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 UYU 4,954

$122 UYU 4,900

1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 UYU 4,748

$117 UYU 4,693

1.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 UYU 45.8K

$427 UYU 17.2K

166.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 UYU 36.0K

$317 UYU 12.8K

182.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 UYU 59.0K

$910 UYU 36.6K

61.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 UYU 49.8K

$587 UYU 23.6K

110.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 UYU 151.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 UYU 80.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,126 UYU 45.3K

$1,008 UYU 40.6K

11.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Punta del Este: August 31, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,138 in Punta del Este and $427 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Punta del Este pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Punta del Este vs $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $321 per month, with Punta del Este cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Punta del Este vs Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Punta del Este and Maldonado differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,959 vs $1,345 including rent). Maldonado is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Punta del Este, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,138 in Punta del Este versus $427 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $499 in Punta del Este versus $492 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Punta del Este pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,345 in Maldonado versus $1,959 in Punta del Este, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maldonado but tight or insufficient in Punta del Este. The gap between the two cities makes Maldonado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Punta del Este and Maldonado are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maldonado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Punta del Este. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.